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Burning hay stacks
News ClaimsClaims CanadaCommercial LinesInsuranceMarkets / Coverages

Why hay barn fires catch insurers’ attention

November 9, 2023 by Jason Contant

The massive amount of water and firefighting resources required to put out hay barn fires is just one reason why these blazes are so stubborn, an industry professional said at the Farm Fire Summit last week.  A multi-million-dollar hay barn

Car alarm and anti-theft device
News BrokersClaimsInsuranceRisk

Does your client know their car is at a high risk for theft?

November 7, 2023 by Alyssa DiSabatino

Canada’s P&C insurance industry is urging drivers to lower their own risk while it contends with high auto theft losses across the country. The problem is, 40% of drivers don’t know if they’re driving a high-risk vehicle, according to a

Building maintenance, repairs, and compliance with legal regulations.
News ClaimsInsuranceLegalLegislation / Regulation

GRC policies do not cover increased compliance costs: Appeal Court

November 7, 2023 by David Gambrill

A Guaranteed Replacement Cost (GRC) home insurance policy does not provide coverage for increased regulatory compliance costs required for the rebuild, the Court of Appeal for Ontario has ruled, thus reversing a lower court decision last October that found otherwise.

Hurricane aftermath
News BrokersCatastrophesClaimsClimate ChangeInsurance

How to tame increasingly ferocious NatCats

November 6, 2023 David Gambrill

Escalating natural catastrophe losses are top of mind for specialty insurers in several different commercial lines, most notably property, said Jeff Coulson, director of claims for commercial specialty at Echelon Insurance. There were 15 declared Cats (events causing insured claims

Modern CEO private office
News AdjustersAnnouncementsAppointmentsClaims

CIAA announces new president

November 3, 2023 by Alyssa DiSabatino

The Canadian Independent Adjusters’ Association (CIAA) has announced Maria Joshua as its new president.   Joshua is vice president, quality assurance and training with Sedgwick Canada. She has more than 10 years’ experience at Sedgwick and more than 35 years’

Car thief trying to break into a car
News ClaimsClaims CanadaInsuranceMarkets / Coverages

Why Ontario thinks auto theft needs a federal approach

November 3, 2023 by Jason Contant

Ontario’s provincial government is urging a federal and multi-jurisdictional approach to combat auto theft in Canada. In its 2023 Fall Economic Statement released Thursday, the government called for the Canada Border Services Agency, RCMP, Montreal and Halifax port authorities, as

Tarantula crossing the road
News ClaimsClaims CanadaInsuranceMarkets / Coverages

Tarantula blamed for crash that sent Canadian motorcyclist to the hospital

November 3, 2023 The Associated Press

DEATH VALLEY, Calif. (AP) – A tarantula crossing the road in Death Valley National Park caused a traffic crash that sent a Canadian motorcyclist to the hospital, the National Park Service said. Swiss travelers, driving a rented camper van, braked

Farm in rural Ontario
News Commercial LinesConstructionEngineeringInsuranceMarkets / Coverages

Will building code changes affect farm fire severity?

November 2, 2023 by Jason Contant

With changes from the National Building Code of Canada (NBC) in the process of becoming law in Ontario next spring, farm insurance experts are raising concerns that the maximum barn size restriction will be removed and Ontario’s Fire Code (OFC)

Concept of secure medical records
News ClaimsClaims CanadaCommercial LinesInsuranceMarkets / CoveragesTechnology

Ontario hospitals warn stolen patient, employee data may be published  

November 2, 2023 The Canadian Press

Five Ontario hospitals affected by a recent ransomware attack, along with their shared IT provider, are warning patients and staff that their data may be published.   The attack caused an outage of some online services at Bluewater Health, Chatham-Kent Health

Hurricane Fiona
News BrokersCatastrophesClaimsClimate ChangeInsuranceMarkets / Coverages

Coastal storms: Could U.S. scenario happen here?

November 1, 2023 Philip Porado

Increasing intensity of hurricanes making landfall along the U.S. coastline, sparked largely by climate change, has resulted in significant insured losses for several years. And storms seem to be getting worse. That trend impacts insurability and, going forward, “property values

Hands working, reading and writing on business meeting notes in an office boardroom. Closeup view of corporate executive team doing work. Management group looking through finance data together
News AnnouncementsClaimsInsurance

MPI labour dispute ends, as union ratifies deal

November 1, 2023 by David Gambrill

Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) will resume full service Friday, after its union employees voted in favour of a deal that ends a long labour dispute with the public insurer. The new deal ends a 10-week-long job action by members of

Office worker who has fallen on a staircase
News ClaimsInsurance

How to build environments that reduce staircase injuries

October 31, 2023 By Dr. Andrew Huntley and Claire Miller, 30 Forensic Engineering

As research drives new ways to build staircases that can prevent slip-and-falls, Canada’s building codes should be updated accordingly to reflect the safer designs. The importance of code updates is illustrated by falls on stairs, which in Ontario alone led